The Hepatitis B toll in Sabarkantha district has risen to 59,with one more death reported on Tuesday,district health officials said.

Dr H S Patel,chief district health officer (CDHO),said: “One death has been reported from the Idar taluka of Sabarkantha district. Two new cases of hepatitis have been reported from Idar and Vijaynagar talukas.

After including Tuesdays figures,the total number of people infected by the hepatitis B virus has increased to 235 of which 59 have died,he said. In terms of percentage,25 per cent of people infected by the virus in the last one month in Sabarkantha have died.

According to state health officials,the worst affected talukas in the hepatitis outbreak were Modasa,Meghraj and Idar.

In Modasa,47 people have died due to the infection,while nine have lost their lives in Meghraj,two in Idar and one in Bayad.

The Health department has so far registered cases against 13 doctors,including Dr Govind Patel,who along with his son is accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Investigations have revealed that most of the people who died in Modasa had undergone treatment from Patel.